Northeast's Bamboo Industry Eyes Global Markets With Amazon & DoNER Initiative

Agartala: The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (MDoNER) is working with Amazon to adopt self-help groups from Tripura and Nagaland for end-to-end value processing of bamboo.

The announcement was made by DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently at the Northeast Trade and Investment Show held in Chennai.
He stated that Chennai has a large furniture-making industry, which can import bamboo from the Northeast for manufacturing furniture and exporting it abroad.

“Around 38% of India's bamboo is produced in the Northeast. Chennai has such a huge furniture-making industry. Today, we can grow bamboo, process it for manufacturing furniture, and export it abroad. Right now, my ministry is working with Amazon and two other companies to adopt self-help groups in the Northeast, starting with Tripura and Nagaland, where we will undertake end-to-end value processing of bamboo. The possibilities are endless,” the Union Minister said.

Endowed with rich and diverse bamboo resources, Tripura is home to 21 bamboo species out of the 130 species available in India. The state meets 60% of the national requirement for bamboo sticks used in Agarbatti (incense stick) making.

The Tripura Bamboo Mission (TBM) was launched in 2007 under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework for the integrated development of the bamboo sector. The mission focuses on four sub-sectors: Bamboo Plantations, Bamboo Handicrafts, Bamboo Incense Sticks, and Bamboo Industrial Applications. The catalytic role played by TBM has resulted in increased turnover and livelihood generation. Value addition is taking place in the Agarbatti sector, new handicraft products have been designed and launched, and marketing strategies have been improved.

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The TBM Trade Facilitation Cell is working to establish market linkages by supporting grassroots producers through centralised supply chain management between buyers and producers. Major initiatives by TBM for enhancing marketing for bamboo products include marketing tie-ups with NEHHDC, THHDC, ITC, NRRS, Mother Earth, Giskaa, and many other private players. B2C marketing through eBay.in, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Realshoppee.com, etc and B2B marketing through Indiamart.com, Tradeindia.com, Indiatradezone.com.

Nagaland Contributes 5% To India’s Total Stock

Meanwhile, in Nagaland, bamboo has been an essential natural resource, supporting human survival and progress since ancient times. The indigenous Naga people continue to depend on bamboo for their livelihood. Bamboo serves as a multipurpose alternative to timber, particularly in the rural agricultural economy. Over the centuries, its applications have grown, with studies identifying over 1,500 different uses for bamboo.

Bamboo is found extensively throughout Nagaland, with predominant growth in the districts of Dimapur, Peren, Mon, and Mokokchung, while it is also present in mixed forests across other districts. The growing stock of bamboo in India has been estimated at around 8.96 million hectares, with approximately 5 per cent of this stock—equivalent to 448,000 hectares—available in Nagaland.